Wrench



Dec. 25, 1934. c. s. HASCALL WRENCH Filed Dec. 4 1953 a M d a Patented Dec. 25, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

This invention relates to wrenches and has special reference to the means for adjusting the movable jaw of the wrench, the object being to provide simple and easily manipulated means for holding the jaw-adjusting mechanism in a set position. The object of the invention is attained in such a mechanism as is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, and the invention resides in certain novel features which will be particularly pointed out in the claim following a detailed description.

In the drawing,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a wrench having the present invention embodied therein,

Figure 2 is an enlarged transverse section on the line 2 2 of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a detail plan view.

The wrench comprises a handle bar 1, at one end of which is formed the fixed jaw 2 and upon the upper edge of which is a rack 3. The movable jaw comprises a sleeve or tubular body 4,

which encircles the handle bar 1 and is movable along said bar, the movable jaw 5 being formed at one end of the body, as clearly shown in Figure 1. The upper edge portion of the body 4 is cut away to define a longitudinal recess 6 and in the walls of this recess are journaled the ends of a worm shaft 7 carrying a worm 8 which meshes with the rack 3 on the handle bar, and it is to be noted that the edge of the spiral rib or worm-is knurled or serrated, as shown at 9. Pivotally mounted upon one side of the body 4 is a pawl or latch '10 which consists of a leaf spring or resilient strap having one end free and turned an- ,gularly to form a lip 11 which may engage in the grooves or serrations 9 upon the rib of the worm to thereby hold the worm against turning.

When the wrench is being adjusted, the pawl orlatch 10 is turned forward as indicated by dotted lines in Figure 1, so that it is out of the way and the worm may be rotated freely to effect movement of the movable jaw 5 along the handle bar in the usual manner. When the wrench has been adjusted, as desired, to properly engage the work, the pawl is then turned up to the position shown in full lines in Figure 1, whereupon the locking lip 11 will ride into engagement with the serrations or grooves on the wormand thereby prevent turning movement of the worm so that the jaw will be locked in the position in which it has been set. The backward movement ofthe latch or pawl is limited by a stop pin or lug 12 provided on the side of the body 4, as clearly shown, and the working edge of the locking lip 11 may be convex, as clearly shownin Figure 3, 5 so that it will ride easily into proper engagement with the worm. The stop pin 12 prevents the latch being swung past the worm to defeat its purpose and the locking lip should be wide enough to span adjacent portions of the worm, 10

as indicated in Figures 1 and 3, so'that, if the position of the worm is suchv that the lip will move beyond the edge of an engaged portion of the worm, it may ride into engagement with the parallel adjacent portion of the worm and thereby 15 serve its purpose of firmly holding the worm against turning movement. When the work is to be released, the pawl may be easily swung to the inoperative position and the movable jaw then backed off the work, as will be understood. It may be noted that the locking device is exceedingly simple and inexpensive and may be readily applied to existing wrenches as well as to wrenches in the course of manufacture. Thepawl may be easily manipulated by the thumb of the user without releasing the users hold upon the wrench and the pawl is located at some little distance from the working face of the jaw so that, if desired, a pawl may be mounted upon each side of the wrench so that, whichever side of the wrench be accessible, the worm may be locked against turning. It will be understood, of course, that in the event the locking device is thus duplicated there will always be one pawl inactive.

Having thus described the invention, I claim: In a wrench comprising a handle bar, a jaw including a body encircling the bar and movable along the same and a rotatable worm with a knurled spiral rib carried by said body and engaging the handle bar to effect the movement of the jaw, a resilient latch pivoted upon the side of the body at one end and having its free end provided with a lateral locking lip to engage the knurled rib of the worm, the lengthof the lip 5, being greater than the width of the rib, and a stop on the side of the body in the path of the latch to limit the worm-engaging movement of: the latch. I

CHARLES S. HASCALL. [L.S.] 

